A hive tool, bee brush and a smoker gets most of it done. Smokers are a personal thing. Mine is an ancient woodsman and I don't know if they are still made or if they are made the same. I hate the cheapos that have a spring in the bellows sufficient to keep a truck from bottoming out. It gets tiring pumping one. I personally like a 4x7 one without a shield. The smaller smoker will last thru thirty colonies for me without refueling. The shield results in a false sense of security and I burn myself as I seldom wear gloves. Just get used to holding it by the bellows.

Buy a good stainless steel hive tool. The plain jane flat one with a a bend down at one end. It will scrape, hammer, pull nails, pry out frames, separate glues together hive bodies and is indespensible! The ones with hooks and sine curves are just new, not improved. Hive tools love to get lost or left somewhere. Buy two or three and paint them orange or put reflective tape on the them. I still come up with one missing every time I go thru a yard of bees. I find it the next time on top of frames under a lid somewhere next time. Only a slight exaggeration.

My bee brush is a pinion from a Canada goose who didn't need it anymore.

Nice to haves are a frame rest and possibly a frame puller. I just don't have time to use them. The catalogs are full of stuff. they have to make a living too.

I like my plain hive tool alot. And my smoker also I cant think if any other tools to buy. But I personally recommend getting a suit with a veil and goat skin gloves I know they are not tools but I still feel that a new beekeeper should be comfortable and not get stung to much.

Beekeepers and opinions :-D :-DI would recommend the larger smoker with a heat guard. Once when in a hurry I reached for the smoker and grabbed the hot can. Lesson learned. The larger smoker is easier to keep lit in my opinion,there that word is again, LOL. Beebrush, handy but learn to flick bees with the brush, not roll them. Smoking is a better way to move bees where you want. And the hive tool? The standard one is fine,but you may want a few as they seem to be the first thing you will misplace. And paint it a bright color so it is easy to find when you drop it in the grass.Black ones vanish quickly.

An inexpensive digital camera is a good idea. You can take photos of your frames and examine things closer when you load the pictures on a PC.

I like the idea of the digital camera. I think that would be a fantastic learning tool for newbies to ask specific questions on all parts of the hives, frames, comb, etc. I will get one for sure. Thanks for the info.

I have a regular hive tool, a small smoker with guard. It last long enough to check and go through all my hives, most yet is seven. My original hive tool is yellow. I have a shelf in the shop for beek stuff: gloves,hat,smoker,hive tool,lighter, smoker fuel, and SHB traps. Oh, that is another thing you will want is a good lighter, I use a long grill lighter. And everybody has their own fuel they use in a smoker. I start with some newspaper run through a shredder, light that and put wood chips on pack as you go with hive tool. Good luck

You may latter on want a good dollie. It will come in good when moving hives, supers or getting honey for extraction.

Go to your local Army-Navy Surplus Store and get a big Ammo Box, the metal kind with the snap-down clamp for the lid.

There will be room in there for your smoker (snout down, with a chunk of Duct-Seal over the hole), a couple of hive tools (painted bright orange), bee brush, small can of WD-40 to help get the smoker going, one of those 'click-type' fireplace lighters and a couple cheap-o disposable lighters for when you lose or break the clicky one.

When you snap the lid down, there's no way for sparks to get out + the fire will die from lack of air.

You may want to get two, use the second to keep your smoker fuel dry + your gloves.